IT:AD:WiX:HowTo:Create Directory Elements

As shown in Schema the basic file schema is:

<wix namepace="...">
  <!-- describes the app being installed -->
    <product>
      <!-- describes the msi package of the product -->
   <package/>
   <!-- describes the cab's within the msi -->
   <media/>
    </product>
 
    <!-- Define here the Target Directory Structure -->
    <Directory...>
      ...
    </Directory>
    <Feature>
       ...
    </Feature>
</wix>

The directory structure looks like:

<Directory Id="TARGETDIR" Name="SourceDir">
  <Directory Id="ProgramFilesFolder">
    <Directory Id="INSTALLLOCATION" Name="The Product Installer">
      <Component Id="_productComponent Guid="*">
        <File Id="_fileAFirstFile"
              Source="Files\AFirstFileToInstall.txt"
              Name="AFilrstFileInstalled.txt"/>
      </Component>
    </Directory>
  </Directory>
</Directory>

Features then refers back to the the actual Component installed:

<Feature Id="_featureCore" Title="Core Stuff" Level="1">
  <ComponentRef Id="_productComponent">
</Feature>

Note:

D

irectory structure is of *Target, not Source. Src Files are referenced via File@Source attribute ID's: generally anything wanted, but some WellKnownKeyWords

Note:

T

Hin in terms of installaable Components, not Files. A Component is an installation Unit. Can be a single thing (file) Or a group of things installed as one unit (file.Aspx, file.cs, shortcut to file.aspx)